WaterBear the College of Music, in collaboration with the Music Venue Trust (MVT), has announced that its Keeping Music Live tour will stop in Manchester this October as part of a national campaign supporting grassroots music venues. The live gig will take place on Tues 28 October at The Castle Hotel from 7.30pm to 10.30pm featuring Liz Mann with support from Daz Cadwallander, The Tivolis and Life in Neon. Tickets are just £1, with all proceeds going directly to MVT, the national charity which acts to protect, secure, and improve the UK’s Grassroots Music Venues.
According to MVT’s 2024 Annual Report, 125 grassroots venues closed in the previous year, making it the worst year on record, with an average of two closures per week, posing a great threat to the survival of the UK live music industry. These spaces are being lost to rising costs, noise complaints, development pressure and a lack of industry support.
To combat the closures and champion local talent, WaterBear has launched its inaugural ‘Keeping Music Live’ campaign: a national tour running from October 18 to November 1, 2025 with live gigs at some of the UK’s most beloved grassroots venues in Manchester, London, Nottingham and more cities, supported by MVT, Love Music Hate Racism and Save Our Scene.
The Castle Hotel, located in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, has been a cornerstone of the city’s live music scene since the early 1990s. Originally established in 1776, it underwent significant renovations in 2009, reopening in 2010 with a dedicated music hall. The venue has hosted a diverse array of artists, including James Bay and Bill Ryder-Jones, and continues to support emerging talent through intimate performances in its 80-capacity space.
Manchester’s rising synth-pop star Liz Mann will be headlining the Manchester date featuring WaterBear’s Jay Hargreaves. Supporting them will be WaterBear Sheffield band The Tivolis, Daz Cadwallander and Life in Neon.
Greg Archer, Careers and Industry Manager, WaterBear Sheffield, says: “If venues disappear, so do the opportunities for bands, crew, the whole circuit. This is our ecosystem too – we’ve been working with local venues for years—putting on shows, helping them stay open, and giving students a proper understanding of what the industry really looks like. We’re proud to continue that with so many industry partnerships and support for emerging artists on the ‘Keeping Music Live tour.”
A proportion of tickets will be distributed by Tickets For Good, reaching NHS staff, teachers, charity workers, volunteers, and individuals affected by the cost of living crisis. Its platform ensures that access to live music isn’t limited by income or circumstance, supporting WaterBear’s mission to embed music education within the real-life, real-world infrastructure of the UK scene. Additionally, Fightback Lager will be sold on the night, supporting the tour with donations from each pint sold going to MVT.
The Manchester show is being produced in partnership with Scruff of the Neck, the award-winning independent music company known for championing emerging talent in the city through live promotion, artist development and label services, perfectly aligning with WaterBear’s mission in supporting grassroots venues.
Brad Widdowson, part of Sheffield band Sundress and a WaterBear student, said: “We’re playing festivals next year, but without smaller venues we’d never have been ready. You learn by doing. You make mistakes. You grow. You can’t skip that part.”
WaterBear’s relationship with grassroots venues runs year-round. In Sheffield and Brighton, students perform midweek shows at local venues to help build footfall and offer support during quieter trading periods. The college supports these events financially by covering entry costs and, where possible, bar spend—making sure the venues benefit from both audiences and income. This model is central to WaterBear’s belief that education must be mutual, relevant and rooted in the real world.
Bruce John Dickinson, WaterBear Co-founder, adds: “These venues aren’t just buildings—they’re launchpads. Go to the gig. Buy a ticket. Stand at the front. These places are everything for emerging artists, playing gigs, learning to handle a crowd, and making your name.”
For more information on the Keeping Music Live tour and tickets, click here.
